CVE-2023-46779 has recently been reported, highlighting a critical vulnerability in the widely-used EasyRecipe plugin, specifically for versions <= 3.5.3251. The vulnerability allows for a Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attack, which could lead to severe consequences for unsuspecting users. This long read post will discuss the vulnerability's exploit details, share a code snippet demonstrating the issue, and provide links to original references for further learning.

Exploit Details

The EasyRecipe plugin for WordPress is a user-friendly tool that assists in the creation and management of recipes on websites. While this plugin has become quite popular among food bloggers and cooking enthusiasts, CVE-2023-46779 has revealed a significant security flaw in its previous versions (<= 3.5.3251).

This vulnerability lies in the plugin's improper handling of user inputs, making it possible for an attacker to carry out a CSRF attack. A CSRF attack occurs when an attacker tricks an authenticated user into performing an unauthorized action on the targeted website without the user's knowledge. In the case of the EasyRecipe plugin, this could involve altering, deleting, or publishing critical content on the targeted website.

Imagine the following scenario

1. The attacker crafts a malicious HTML form that, when submitted, will perform a specific action in the EasyRecipe plugin—for instance, deleting a critical recipe from the website.
2. The malicious form is then embedded on a website or sent to the victim via email or a social media message.
3. The victim, who is already authenticated on the EasyRecipe plugin, unknowingly submits the form and triggers the unauthorized action.

The following code snippet demonstrates the issue within the EasyRecipe plugin

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <body>
    <h1>EasyRecipe CSRF Vulnerability Demo</h1>
    <form action="http://target-site.com/wp-admin/admin-post.php"; method="post">
      <input type="hidden" name="isEasyRecipe" value="1" />
      <input type="hidden" name="action" value="easyrecipe-delete" />
      <input type="hidden" name="recipe_uid" value="RECIPE_UID_TO_DELETE" />
      <input type="submit" value="Submit" />
    </form>
  </body>
</html>

This HTML form contains hidden input fields that set values for "isEasyRecipe," "action," and "recipe_uid." When submitted, the form sends a POST request to the target website with these values, potentially deleting the specified recipe if the victim is authenticated.

To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker would simply need to modify the "RECIPE_UID_TO_DELETE" to the actual recipe UID they wish to delete and convincing a logged-in user to submit the form.

For more information regarding this vulnerability, consult the following original references

1. CVE-2023-46779 - NVD Detail - Official National Vulnerability Database entry for CVE-2023-46779.
2. EasyRecipe Plugin Page - Visit the official plugin page on the WordPress repository for updates and support.
3. CSRF Vulnerability Explanation - A detailed explanation of CSRF attacks provided by the OWASP Foundation.
4. WordPress Security Guide - Learn best practices for securing your WordPress site and protecting it from future vulnerabilities.

In conclusion, CVE-2023-46779 discovered a significant CSRF vulnerability in the EasyRecipe plugin (versions <= 3.5.3251). Website owners using this plugin must ensure they are running the latest version to protect themselves and their users from potential CSRF attacks. Exercise caution when interacting with third-party plugins and keep up to date with the latest security updates to maintain a safe website environment.

Timeline

Published on: 11/06/2023 12:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/14/2023 16:23:00 UTC